---
title: "The Eighteen Weapons of Practical Salesmanship"
description: "Weapons are the sharp tools or skills used when two armies confront each other. For terminal salespeople, their weapons are the skills and abilities to persuade customers to make a transaction during the sales process. The future will not lack entrepreneurs, but will lack sales experts who can tell product stories like narratives. The most valuable people in the future will be sales experts."
author: "New Distribution"
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published: "2015-07-23"
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# The Eighteen Weapons of Practical Salesmanship

> Weapons are the sharp tools or skills used when two armies confront each other. For terminal salespeople, their weapons are the skills and abilities to persuade customers to make a transaction during the sales process. The future will not lack entrepreneurs, but will lack sales experts who can tell product stories like narratives. The most valuable people in the future will be sales experts.

The Eighteen Weapons of Practical Salesmanship
Weapons are the sharp tools or skills used when two armies confront each other. For terminal salespeople, their weapons are the skills and abilities to persuade customers to make a transaction during the sales process. The future will not lack entrepreneurs, but will lack sales experts who can tell product stories like narratives. The most valuable people in the future will be sales experts.

1. Skillfully Analyze "Selling Points"
Due to fierce competition among brands and increased consumer awareness, closing a sale has become more difficult. Faced with many homogeneous products, how can a salesperson leverage strengths and avoid weaknesses, skillfully analyzing the advantages or disadvantages of their own products, becomes the key to closing the deal. I once witnessed a TV salesperson cleverly divert attention from product shortcomings to boost sales.

For example, a customer asked, "Does this TV have a memory card slot?" The salesperson confidently replied, "None of our TV models have a memory card slot. It's not that we can't do it, but that we choose not to." Such a definitive answer piqued the customer's curiosity, prompting them to ask why. "A USB card reader costs only a few dozen yuan. Even DVD players selling for a few hundred yuan have memory card slots. Why don't we add such a simple feature to our TVs that sell for thousands or tens of thousands of yuan?" "Most importantly, a TV is for viewing. Color processing and sound quality are the key indicators of its quality. A card reader slot only allows simple photo browsing and has little practical use—it's flashy but not functional." This resolved the customer's doubt and shifted attention to the TV's superior color and sound quality.

2. Excel at "Guiding"
Customers only take action when they recognize a need for a product. Sometimes their needs are implicit, and they are unclear about what they want. You need to help customers recognize their needs, guide them to purchase, or provide reasons for buying. The reasons should be chosen based on the customer's temperament, status, ability, etc., and must be convincing to close the sale. Therefore, when customers are learning about and selecting products, their goal is to buy something satisfactory. Thus, the salesperson should act as a good advisor and excel at guiding.

- Set aside your own subjective opinions or preferences.
- Skillfully analyze product selling points and extend them to customer needs.
- Read the customer's mood and expressions, and discuss topics beyond the product, such as home decor, aesthetics, local customs, friendships, etc. However, tailor the conversation to each customer, capturing their aesthetic tastes and interests to guide the purchase.
- Encourage customers to use their imagination to accelerate the deal. For example, "This machine is perfect for you. It not only saves you trips to the hospital for tests and reduces unnecessary expenses, but also helps you manage your health more scientifically." Stimulating customer imagination is crucial because it directly influences their initial impression and emotional stage of satisfaction or dissatisfaction, liking or disliking. Therefore, when guiding customers, use various methods to enhance their imagination—this is one of the secrets to successful selling.

3. Masterful "Demonstrations"
The purpose of a demonstration is to help customers understand the true value of the product, give them a sense of security, and increase their trust, leading them to voluntarily make a purchase. Throughout the conversation, the salesperson should maintain a confident attitude, believing the customer will buy, and never become discouraged.

A clever demonstration can ensure that the customer's purchase decision is based on genuine satisfaction, which strongly encourages repeat purchases.

Therefore, when demonstrating the product's uses and features on the spot, focus on aspects that can quickly stimulate the customer's desire to buy. Leverage strengths and avoid weaknesses, highlighting key functions and selling points to capture the customer's attention and emotions. You can also demonstrate different uses based on different customer needs, but be mindful of the pace to avoid being counterproductive. Demonstrations should:

- Be skilled and sharp; otherwise, customers may doubt the product's performance and features.
- Combine demonstration with explanation, allowing customers to see, hear, and think, reinforcing their impression and understanding.
- For unique selling points and advantages, encourage customers to participate in the commentary—not just see, hear, and think, but also speak and ask questions.

4. Win with "Proactivity"
When facing customers who already show a purchase intention, the salesperson should closely follow or boldly guide the customer's thinking to help them make the decision to buy. For example, a common technique: "Ma'am, I'll take the liberty of writing up the invoice for you. I can sign the invoice for this product, and if you're not satisfied, come to me." In reality, if the customer likes the product, they are generally satisfied; they might come to you for special reasons. But this approach can enhance the customer's trust in the product, shorten the decision-making process, and increase sales opportunities. When being proactive, be alert, quick, familiar with the business, technically proficient, well-organized, and leave no loopholes.

5. Appropriate "Concessions"
When a customer decides to buy, during negotiations, if both parties cannot reach satisfaction, one party must make appropriate concessions; otherwise, a deadlock can lead to the failure of the negotiation. Temporarily stepping back can preserve the overall situation and leave room for the next step to close the deal. Concessions are also a form of guidance, ensuring they are beneficial to the final sale.

- Tighten first, then loosen, making the customer feel that the discount or benefit is hard-won.
- Add compensation—buy one, get one free.
- Avoid the substantive and focus on the trivial—temporarily withhold one or two preferential services.
- Make promises willingly—but do not issue empty promises.

6. Retain "Repeat" Customers
Salespeople should regularly build their customer resources, attracting, retaining, and stabilizing a base of repeat customers, who will informally promote for you. For example, customers may delay their purchase plans due to price, model, promotional activities, etc. In such cases, note down the customer's purchase intention and contact information to facilitate communication and increase sales opportunities. When contacting customers, it's best to use text messages, which respects the customer, reduces resistance, and makes them more willing to accept the information. Salespeople should appropriately build relationships with repeat customers, promoting themselves and bringing in return customers.

7. Never "Neglect" Customers
When customers arrive in a flurry, the salesperson should handle them with the principle of "serve the first, attend to the second, greet the third"—that is, serve the first customer with your hands, keep an eye on the second, and verbally greet the third. This ensures customers always feel your service and enthusiasm, leading to satisfactory purchases and winning customer praise, maximizing sales opportunities.

8. Leverage "External Forces"
Salespeople should not only build good relationships with mall management but also form tacit "alliances" with salespeople who have no conflicting interests, using external forces to increase sales space and frequency. For example, a lobby manager or counter leader might support you before closing a deal, or guide you in bundling products, or show bias when promoting products; salespeople without conflicting interests can also occasionally say good things about you or introduce customers, increasing sales opportunities.

9. Herd Mentality
People's purchasing behavior is not only influenced by their own beliefs but also by social environmental factors, showing varying degrees of conformity. For example: "This machine is fully featured and reasonably priced, selling very well; we sell several units every day..."

Generally, customers are skeptical of new products and hesitant to buy, but they trust items that others use well. Using a group of existing customers to attract another group of potential customers undoubtedly increases the persuasiveness of the sales pitch. It's best to show physical proof to customers at the sales site.

10. Step-by-Step Strategy
This method is based on accurately grasping and utilizing the customer's words. When a customer comments on a transaction, the salesperson often uses that comment to initiate negotiation on another aspect, continuing until the deal is successful.

If a customer states their required conditions, the salesperson immediately agrees, making it harder for them to back out later because psychologically, doing so would cause them embarrassment.

11. Offer Choices
This refers to the method of guiding customers to make a purchase decision within an effective range. Generally, the more choices offered, the harder it is for customers to decide, so two options are usually best.

Two-option choice includes: first, act as if the customer has already accepted your product or service; second, use the "affirmative question method" to ask the customer questions.

Use this method to guide customers by seizing the opportunity when they show purchase intention. It can create an illusion and achieve an effect: the customer feels they have the initiative to choose, without feeling pressured, reducing the psychological burden of decision-making, and helping the salesperson act as a good advisor.

12. Trigger Emotions
Material and spiritual needs are the basic components of people's life needs. We should stimulate customers to realize that owning a blood pressure monitor or blood glucose meter not only greatly helps their treatment but also gives them a sense of security. This stimulates the customer's needs from both material and spiritual aspects.

13. Assume the Sale
Based on the customer's reactions, the salesperson judges their purchase intention and then goes a step further by discussing issues from the customer's perspective of buying, guiding the customer's thinking toward the transaction.

When guiding with the assumption of a sale, avoid sensitive topics like "whether to buy or not," reducing the customer's psychological pressure, and naturally transition to the substantive issue of closing the deal.

When using this method, create a harmonious and congenial atmosphere, observe the customer's psychological changes, capture purchase signals, and guide the transaction to completion. If the customer shows little interest or has many concerns, do not blindly use this method.

14. Provocation Tactic
When the salesperson is in the final stage of selling, and product introduction or objection handling is complete, but the customer still cannot decide, what should you do?

Everyone has self-esteem. Using the customer's self-esteem to prompt an immediate purchase can be very effective if used properly, but if mishandled, it could ruin the entire deal or even offend the customer. At this point, give the customer face. A smart salesperson won't force questions like "Have you made up your mind?" or "Are you buying or not?" Even though customers see the benefits, some are reluctant to abandon their original stance due to self-esteem. Design your questions to seek concessions on details, giving customers psychological comfort and guiding them to cooperate.

15. Play Hard to Get
Customers often hesitate when deciding to buy, and they need someone to provide sufficient information—the salesperson plays that role.

For high-priced items, the salesperson should explain enthusiastically, making the customer feel "the customer is king" and that they deserve this service. Then use the play-hard-to-get tactic: "I've explained everything; the rest is up to you."

16. Cold Stimulation
This is suitable for customers who think they know everything and can do anything. Their behavior often embarrasses you; they believe they can buy the best products without any salesperson and don't need to deal with you at all.

First, use a cold attitude to deflate their arrogance. When talking to them, maintain a polite demeanor, but with an air of indifference about whether the deal closes, as if you don't care at all. This will pique their curiosity.

17. Seek Advice Humbly
This method exploits the customer's vanity or caters to their "love to teach" psychology.

Your behavior elevates them, treating them as experts or teachers in the field, giving them a sense of importance, which often leads them to change their original decision and buy your product.

18. Create Pressure
- Special supply
- Limited quantity
- Special offers
- Prices about to rise
- Create an auction-like atmosphere in the store
- Queue up
- Big sale
- Sold out

The skill of terminal promotion lies in flexible application. Choose appropriate techniques based on different customers' personalities and needs. This requires terminal salespeople to repeatedly practice, then summarize a set of rules that suit their own characteristics and maximize sales goals, continuously supplementing shortcomings in practice.

As long as you maintain a positive attitude and take practical actions with full effort, I firmly believe everyone will become an excellent terminal salesperson.


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